When Heyneke Meyer was interviewed to be head coach of the Pretoria-based Bulls Super 12 side six years ago, he told a story. A village needed water and two men offered to supply it. The first ran a line of buckets from the well to the dwellings, bringing water immediately. The second, after thinking about the matter, decided to lay a pipeline. It took more time but ultimately yielded the greater reward, for the village and the supplier.

If it is pushing it to say Leicester have suffered a drought of trophies in recent years, they have had holes in their buckets in four of the last five seasons. Although they reached the Guinness Premiership final last May, their campaign was wretchedly inconsistent - more Tigger than Tiger - and the 40-year-old Meyer was hired this summer not just to bring back success to Welford Road but to make the side known again for the quality of its rugby.

"My long-term goal is to make Leicester the best club side in the world," said Meyer, who has signed a three-year contract. "We should be able to achieve that in my time here. When I left the Bulls after winning the Super 14 last year and failed to get the job of South Africa coach, I thought my time in rugby was over. I had been a coach since I was 20 and I got out of the game by taking charge of a sports nutrition company and turned down a number of offers from international and club sides. Then Leicester came in, a club which shares my vision and values, and here I am."

Meyer is preparing for the first match of the Premiership campaign, on Sunday at Gloucester, where Leicester won a play-off semi-final last season, while on crutches after rupturing the achilles tendon in his right leg in training last week. "It was a sort of race," he said. "Put it down to team-building. I will be in plaster for six weeks and then see how it goes." A number of key players will be missing through injury at the start of the season, including Lewis Moody and Martin Castrogiovanni, while the Fijian Rupeni Caucaunibuca is among three wings being considered by Meyer, who said one of his charges at the Bulls, Bryan Habana, was not among them.

"I have not spoken to Bryan for a while," said Meyer. "I think a number of the South Africa squad want to play against the Lions next summer. After that, perhaps some will look to move abroad. We need a wing because of all the injuries we have: we will take our time because as well as being a world-class player, the guy must fit into the values of the club. Individualism must not come before the team. Every aspect of Leicester and everything we do must be totally professional."

Meyer's predecessor, the former Argentina coach Marcelo Loffreda, lasted less than a season at Welford Road. He arrived at the end of October last year after guiding the Pumas to third in the World Cup, but struggled to impose himself on the squad. Although the Tigers made two Twickenham finals, losing to the Ospreys in the EDF Energy Cup before surrendering their Premiership crown to Wasps, they lost to lowly Worcester and Newcastle in the regular season and only scraped into the play-offs after Sale's unexpected collapse at home to London Irish on the final day of the regular season.

Loffreda was sacked and there was talk of Leicester appointing one of their own. But Neil Back left for Leeds, leaving the forwards coach, Richard Cockerill, as the link between the club's past and Meyer, who last month appointed the Australian Matt O'Connor as his attack coach.

"It will be a new experience for me, but I have watched a lot of Premiership rugby in recent years," said Meyer, a former Springbok assistant coach. "It is different to the Currie Cup because it has 12 good teams in it. It has grown in strength, along with the Heineken Cup. The English season is tough because three competitions overlap and you have international calls, but we have drawn up plans and we have a very strong squad."

Last season's Premiership was the best yet in terms of attacking intent, but Leicester bucked the trend and their conservatism cost them. The outside-half Andy Goode has joined Brive, which should give the former New Zealand inside-centre Aaron Mauger more tactical input. "Mauger will be a very important player for us," said Meyer. "He has been brilliant in training and is part of our planning going forward. We will change tactically, improving when it comes to intensity, skill levels and try scoring, but you always have to play to your strengths."

Flying coach

1988-1996 After studying sports psychology at University of Pretoria, Meyer coaches junior and club sides

1997 Forwards coach, South Western Districts Eagles

1998 Eagles head coach; Emerging Springboks coach

1999 Springbok assistant coach at World Cup in Wales

2000 Springbok assistant; head coach, Northern Bulls, Currie Cup. Stormers assistant coach in Super 12

2001 Wins provincial Vodacom Cup

2002 First of three successive Currie Cup wins with renamed Blue Bulls

2005 Bulls reach Super 12 semi-finals; SA Rugby Magazine coach of the year

2006 Currie Cup shared with Free State in fifth consecutive final

2007 Wins Super 14

2008 Peter de Villiers appointed as Springboks coach. Saying 'I can't coach the Boks, I don't want to coach', Meyer takes up business role but is then made Leicester head coach in June